18 May, 2012

Romanza Le Restaurant @ Hock Choon, Jalan Ampang, KL

#1 Welcome to Romanza!

Courtesy to BigBoysOven and Romanza, I'm lucky to win two set menu vouchers to dine with my parents at a fine dining place, Romanza Le Restaurant, during last weekend for an unforgettable Mother's Day celebration.

Along the drive to the heart of KL, I realise this restaurant is situated within the embassies enclave. Tucked in the Terrace of Hock Choon with other restaurants and bars housed under one roof along the busy street of food hub, Romanza serves a fusion of French Mediterranean cuisine with a hint of South African flair.

#2 Let Romanza tug your heart strings and shower you with the romance you deserve.

The minute I step into the restaurant, feeling of classic and elegance greets me almost instantly, giving out a romantic feeling to it. It’s like going into a fairytale for a candlelight dinner for two.

#3 Sultry ambiance of deep grooves and sexy sounds

Romanza has been operating for a mere 2 months, under the renowned Head Chef Steven Kruger from Southern Africa, a holder of many culinary awards for his commitment, passion, attention to detail and producing a taste bud wonderland for all your senses with his unique style and signature dishes. It’s pure artistry at its fines. Truly, Romanza has captivated the best of all worlds to produce a true dining splendor.

#4 Feta Cheese Bread with Piri Piri Sauce

Our gastronomical journey starts off with the light bread which is delicated roasted with feta cheese, and the winning part is the house Mediterranean Piri Piri Sauce!

A true Mediterranean affair with the extraordinary sauce! Unlike the local sambal, Piri Piri Sauce is rather spicy and strong in taste. I'd go for another basket of breads just for this savoury sauce!

The amuse bouche starts off with a spoonful of potato croquette with hints of light, creamy Gorgonzola cheese. The pastry exterior is unoily and crispy, and it tastes especially good when the sweet pear puree and salad bring a light texture to the dish.

The robust Gorgonzola cheese and potatoes are shaped by hand into croquettes which are served piping hot from the kitchen while the tangy roasted pears and walnuts enhance the healthy dish.

#6 Duo of Chicken, master stock chicken roulade served on a bed of kimchee and topped with crisp leeks accompanied by a liver pate and served with a strawberry salsa

The chicken roulade is tender with smooth texture, and is truly amazing with the rich liver pate. I thought the strawberry salsa would do little in this dish, but I am wrong!

The strawberry salsa brings a remarkable fruity flavour which adds the starter with an extraordinary twist! It makes the bed of kimchee tastes tangier than ever.

#7 Passion Fruit Sorbet with lime yoghurt and apple chip

Next, the chef spoils us with the Palate Cleanser--- an amazing passion fruit sorbet with sour fruity yoghurt and tiny apple chip, that is tart with a very distinctive and spectacular flavour. It is just a little light on a spoon size; Mummy and I are craving for more!

Mains:Choose among fish, duck or lamb.
My family doens't take lamb, so we're left with no other choices but the seafood and poultry.

Thankfully, I am more impressed when the main course comes out.
Being a fish lover, the star of the dinner is definitely the magnificent Jade Perch. A tender, flaky and juicy fillet of Jade Perch is served on a bed of light, salty chunks of vegetables. The mango salsa works wonder as a unifying element here.

While the pomme puree is the French version of mashed potato, I find it rather gummy in texture, but delicious when it has the Thai red curry sauce as an accompaniment.

Our gastronomic journey is then entranced with the second main course of the evening, Blackcurrant Marinated Duck Breast. Suitably seduced, I go for this and am rewarded with a wonderfully rich, savoury, complex myriad of flavours. The duck is perfectly cooked with just the right amount of tenderness and juiciness, and it complements the deeper flavours of fruity currant juice.

A crisp and flavoursome Confit Duck Leg Croquette has a bold taste as it is complimented well by the sweetness of the red currant. The exciting flavours burst out instantly leaving an unforgettable taste in the mouth.

The creamy Pomme Fondant, a cube of buttery mashed potato which is freezed for 3 hours before being fried, sits firmly below the slices of Duck Breast which are rather too soft with fatty layers for my taste.

After such a sumptuous main course, the dessert to me is almost an anti-climax. Here lies the slices of spongy chocolate mousse cake with a scoop of chilling raspberry sorbet and classic chocolate tuilles which melts beautifully in the mouth. However, the pistachio crumbs do little for the perfection of the dessert.

The drink contributed a sensual sweet finish to the rich meaty flavours of the dish. Juice from the freshly squeezed orange with grenadine is tangy in taste. It may not be as indelible as the main courses, but this glass of fruity mocktail is impressively good to wash away the heavy meal.

Hi there, thank you for your lovely comment, hope you enjoy the romantic food at Romanza with your friends and family. Also, I'd appreciate it so much if you can leave your name here during your next visit. Please come back soon.

Hello Fish, I love reading your blog with good food all the time. The best part I enjoy is the way you describe each of the food in a so detailed manner. Needless to mention your photographs make the food looks so real from the flat screen! Jalan Ampang is full of fine dining eateries, but Romanza is indeed one of the most creative ones. I bet the three of you had a great time there, Happy Mother's Day to your Mom once again!

Hi Daniel, thanks for coming back to comment :) and I'm on diet too! Hopefully I can reduce more than I gain recently. hahas. good luck to the both of you. exercise more, drink more water and reduce carbs are the best methods i've tried so far.

Pretty amazing spread and the tickets did come on time to treat the wonderful and most important in your life, your mummy. I find that the food is unique too esp the bread with spicy sauce, what more so much of emphasis on the plating. My pick will be the duck all the way.

Hi Nava, you're right because it was a coincidence that Romanza was having their special mother's day promotion and giveaway and I was lucky to win two from them. Everything is simply awesome, and I'd go for other duck selections there too!